Russell Brand, Katy Perry wed at tiger reserve in India

RANTHAMBHORE NATIONAL PARK, India — Comedian Russell Brand and pop star Katy Perry were married Saturday in northwestern India, the couple confirmed in a statement.

A Christian minister and longtime friend of Perry’s family performed a “private and spiritual ceremony,” which was attended by family members and close friends, said the statement released by the couple’s representatives.

“The backdrop was the inspirational and majestic countryside of Northern India,” said the statement, which did not provide any further details on the ceremony.

The wedding was held at the Aman-e-Khas luxury resort in a tiger reserve in Ranthambhore National Park, a hotel official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Security has been stringent with private security guards stationed at the resort and other nearby hotels where guests and the couple are staying for the six-day wedding celebration.

Photographers and media reporters were not allowed into the Aman-e-Khas wildlife retreat. The couple have given the exclusive coverage rights to a London magazine, and no other photographers or journalists will be allowed into the resort.

The wedding venue was lit with lamps, colorful lights illuminated the trees and flower garlands festooned the luxury tents at the resort, the hotel official said.

Both Brand and Perry wore traditional Indian clothes to the wedding, the hotel official said. Perry donned a sari, as did a number of other female guests at the ceremony. On Friday, at a prenuptial celebration, Perry, like a typical Indian bride, had henna designs applied on her palms and hands.

Meanwhile, a four-member committee had been set up to check noise pollution from the wedding celebration and ensure that animals in the wildlife reserve in India’s Rajasthan state are not disturbed, said Ravi Kumar, a district official.

Ranthambhore National Park is home to a host of wildlife species including tigers, leopards, wild boars, hyenas and sloth bears.

The British comedian’s wedding procession, accompanied by traditional Indian musicians, made its way from Sher Bagh, another nearby luxury resort, to the Aman-e-Khas retreat.

Brand proposed to the American pop singer, whose parents are Christian pastors, in the historic Indian city of Jaipur over New Year’s Eve, and the couple decided to get married in India.

The 26-year-old Perry’s single “California Gurls,” from her second album “Teenage Dream,” was one of the top hits of the year.

Brand, 35, is known for his drug-addled past and hedonistic tendencies, but says he has lived a sober life for the last few years. He recently starred in the hit film comedy “Get Him to the Greek,” and is next set to star as Trinculo in Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and as the title character in a remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore-Liza Minnelli film “Arthur.”

EXCLUSIVE: Katy Perry and Russell Brand Engaged!

Tuesday – January 05, 2010 – 1:24pm

Credit: Fame Pictures

He kissed a girl, and she liked it: Katy Perry and Russell Brand are engaged, sources confirm exclusively toUsMagazine.com.

The wacky pair — who’ve been dating since September 2009 — became betrothed five days ago while on holiday in Jaipur, India. A pal says that Brand, 34, proposed with a ring, and that Perry, 25, happily accepted.

On New Year’s Day, she shared another tourist photo: her hand being painted with a traditional Henna tattoo. (“Isn’t it lovely?” she wrote.) The day before, she perhaps hinted at spontaneous decisions to come later that week: “In India, the motto…you gotta go with the flow…”

Of their romance, a friend tells Us that Perry has “never connected with anybody like this.” As for Brand, theForgetting Sarah Marshall star “is super into her. She says he makes her laugh like nobody else in the world,” an insider says.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – British prankster Russell Brand will host theMTV Video Music Awards again this year, MTV said on Tuesday.

The flamboyant 34-year-old comedian, actor, radio and television presenter will return as the host of the awards that will air live from stages set up around New York, including Radio City Music Hall, onSeptember 13, the cable channel said in a news release.

Brand hosted the MTV Video Music Awards last year, raising eyebrows by describing then U.S. President George W. Bush as a “retarded country fella” and ridiculing oaths of virginity undertaken by teen idols the Jonas Brothers.

MTV said this year’s awards would include performances by U.S. country pop singer Taylor Swift and British rockers Muse.

Brand was forced to quit BBC radio last year after taking part in lewd prank calls to “Fawlty Towers” actor Andrew Sachs on one of the British broadcaster’s radio shows.

Brand has already successfully branched out into the United States, including releasing his autobiography “My Booky Wook” and acting in Hollywood films including a role in the 2008 romantic comedy“Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”

As a single mother, my mother’s day is pretty uneventful. So, in honor of the holiday I wanted to showcase the men that would be welcome in my life.

Julian McMahon: This is the first hunk that actually made me get on the internet to talk about. I’m a grown woman and this dude makes me weak in the knees.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: This man has the perfect body. Why he messed it up with tattoos I will never understand. I see big things for his future because he’s so entertaining in his movies.

Kevin McKidd: Never heard of him until “Journeyman” and I really liked this show. Of course, it was canceled before anybody could see it. Then this man turns up as McBadAss on “Grey’s Anatomy.” I never got into McDreamy or McSteamy (although, he’s growing on me) but McKidd’s character on this show is great. He’s so passionate with Christine. Hell, if he didn’t almost kill her I think they’d still be together. He adds the testosterone that this show needed. Too much whining . . . time for a true man. Owen is it!

Russell Brand: this man REEKS sex and he’s also smart and funny. I can see why he might disgust some but for me, I find him fascinating.

He’s crude, obnoxious, he “looks” dirty, he’s and admitted sex addict and he has the weirdest hair I’ve seen this side of Kate Gosselin. However, he makes me laugh. There is something oddly attractive about him. Chelsea Handler seemed very uncomfortable (in a cute way) interviewing him and she finally said, “I feel like I need to cover my vagina.”